From its beginning with Hunter Thompson, Joan B, Dick and Michael, Esalen has meant growth and exploration. This site provides a venue for those changed for the better to speak and commune. Gratitude and peace to all of, the shadow side as well as the light — after all, we must experience both to truly find ourselves.

[Esalen HR Director] Scott Stillinger is indeed a vacant smiling presence and yes, terrifying to many of us who graced the power of the land and spirit of Esalen, and his entire bloated department moves through the property like an amoeba. Now the Director of Guest Services has taken charge of individual departments’ personnel choices. Causing managers to be unable to staff their own departments is one of the largest mistakes she has made. I pray for intervention to come swiftly.

In addition, I send up prayers for the service of one generous, dedicated, hard working [Office Manager] Kathleen. Without Kathleen many seminarians would not be recognized for their loyalty and in her quiet way she does so much for so many, guests and staff alike. The main office would be lost without her, and now unfortunately the Office is short on staff, and I fear that guests will be agitated having to wait on the phone and at the front desk.

Please send your energy into Directors seeing the light. When a system is not broken, as Esalen was not broken, it does not need to be completely changed! The tried and true method of sending up work scholars, into extended students, into staff, really does assure that the power and spirit of Esalen continues.

Whether Esalen has been “broken” or not from a business standpoint, the growing consensus seems to be that naive outsiders in powerful management roles are derailing the Institute. With the Esalen community so overwhelmingly unhappy with Scott Stillinger, why does he not resign?

The individual leading Esalen is not, in fact, our sweet and entirely unqualified CEO. The individual’s name is Scott Stillinger. While he seems to be no more intelligent than Tricia, every Esalen community member I’ve spoken to about his character agrees that his vacantly amiable demeanor hides a soul mired in darkness. Calling him mechanical and incompetent would be a glib dismissal of a person whose power and influence at Esalen is vast. The extent of that influence, because it is unofficial, is unknowable. The means of his power, although unnamed and unacknowledged, is clearer. He controls Tricia through and within their undefined and suspect close personal relationship. He controls the community by expanding the role of his (obscenely bloated by any industry standards) department within the day-to-day operations of Esalen, and then tightening its grip. He controls the institute’s future. His agenda is entirely obscure. I personally do not find this state of affairs troubling. I find it terrifying.